Ichiraku Monogatari
by Cerveza
Summary: Set several years after the series. Follow the lives of the next generation of Konohagakure in their adolescence. One thing's for sure, it all started on Ichiraku, the only place that serves ramen with a very special ingredients: love.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Well, this is something I have never tried before, so I might as well experiment on it: a multi-chaptered fic filled with OCs.**

**I don't think I've found any story that focuses on Ichiraku Ramen Bar. That place is usually only used as an additional setting for, let's say, a dating site, but never actually become the spotlight. So I decided to come up with one. Anyway, this is a future fic, so the OCs are mostly the children/relatives of the present Naruto characters, but don't always have to be the main ones. Instead, I'm going to concentrate on the ones that are rarely discussed. For example, the first chapter will introduce you to the granddaughter of Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku.**

**This is originally intended to be said OC-centric, but I'm gonna see where it'll take me. Of course, your feedback would be very influential too.**

**Right. I'll quit the rambling. Happy reading, minna-san. ;)**

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><p>Takari had never considered herself special.<p>

Her late grandpa used to call her his 'little ramen angel', whatever that means. She hadn't got the chance to ask him as he passed away about nine years ago.

Her mother, Ayame, had become the owner of Ichiraku Ramen since. The place is now more popular amongst younger generations than Takari had ever remembered. When she was little, the only regular under-thirty was the then-newly-appointed Hokage, Naruto-sama. The rest were just a few much older people, mostly jounins or senseis whom she was never really familiar with.

Her mother once told her that Naruto-sama had been their favorite customer since he was just a kid. There's no doubt that the Shidaime had been, and still was, a total ramen freak. Takari vaguely remembered she used to climb on his back while he devoured his umpteenth bowl, calling him kiiro-jisan because of his blond hair. He would give a tinkling laugh whenever she did it, tickled her nose and commented about how he 'wanted one just like this at home'. Not long after, he brought his wife along—a very shy but very pretty dark-haired lady—and announced very loudly so the entire village could hear that he was about to have 'another Hokage brat on the way', adding that he'd treat everybody to free ramen for the whole day, which earned a half-irritated, half-amused look from Ayame. Takari recalled tugging at her mother's skirt, asking what made kiiro-jisan so happy. She responded by stroking her hair lovingly and whispered, "He's going to get something as special as you, sweetie."

Of course, every mother would say that their child is special. But Takari grew up to see that in her case, it wasn't always true.

Why would anyone, in spite of her own mother, think she's special?

Certainly not _him_.

Takari sighed as she dredged the already-boiled noodles with a wire-basket, drying them before putting them in a bowl. She was fifteen now, and being a ramen-girl who smelled like pork broth all the time didn't really help in building social relationships—

"Takari! Is the shōyu ramen ready?"

"Coming, kaa-chan!"

She lifted the steaming hot bowl and delivered it to the counter. "Sorry for the wait! One deluxe portion of shōyu ramen with extra meat toppings, douzo!"

"Ah!" the fleshy man who ordered said ramen beamed brightly. "It looks really delicious! Arigatou, Takari-chan."

"You're welcome, Akimichi-san," Takari bowed a little. "Enjoy your meal,"

—but she couldn't complain, really, because every time she saw the look on the faces of her customers after getting their order, she always felt slightly better. It was definitely worth all the hard work.

Still, as a _normal _teenager, somehow, _romance _is bound to be top priority.

In which she was seriously lacking of.

And desperate for having.

_Well, _she thought, heading back to the kitchen to prepare some more orders. _At least I've gained quite a reputation as the 'ramen girl'. I guess it's sort of a good thing._

She shrugged to herself.

_Maybe._

"_Irashaimase…!"_ amidst the sound of the boiling noodles and chit-chattery of the customers, she could hear her mother greeted a new customer. Her heart suddenly thumped fast. She set her ears alert. _Could it be…?_

"Ayame-bachan, one miso ramen, please," said a voice. "And don't forget the…"

'…additional bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, and extra green onion toppings,' having memorized it by heart, Takari continued the sentence soundlessly a_s_ her insides cheered. _It's definitely him! Always order the same thing... He is such a healthy person, ne?_

She quickly set out for work even before her mother poked her head into the kitchen.

"Takari, one miso ramen—"

"I'm on it, mum!" she exclaimed rather cheerfully, causing her mother to raise her eyebrows. Ayame did realize the change of her daughter's expression, but she didn't say anything.

_He's here again! _Takari practically sang in her heart as she prepared his order and added the required toppings. Her heartbeat seemed to be multiplied tenfold; she was struggling not to spill anything while carrying the bowl to the special customer.

The young man ordering the ramen was too preoccupied with something on his hand to notice her. It looked like a scroll full with writings on it. She put the bowl slowly in front of him, trembling slightly, and with a small voice said, "Your order, Kama-kun, douzo."

He nodded briefly, eyes still on the object. "Arigatou."

"Ano-" her mouth already moved before she could stop herself. "Do you- do you need anything else?"

After a moment, he looked up—_finally!_—and gave a smile capable of instantly melting Takari's insides.

"No, I'm fine here, thanks."

Her smiling back must look like nothing but a huge creepy grin, Takari was sure of that. Forcing herself back to reality, she managed to reply, "Okay then. Um, I hope you enjoy your meal, Kama-kun."

"Thanks, Takari-chan."

She took three steps back and, making sure he didn't say anything more, sprinted to the kitchen before remembering to breathe.

_Kama-kun. Gorgeous as always. _Takari peered from behind the kitchen curtain. Kama was still studying whatever it is he is looking down at. She giggled a little when his hand reached out for the chopsticks on his bowl without really looking, accidentally spraying himself bits of hot ramen soup.

"Admiring the view, aren't we?"

Takari yelped when her mother's head suddenly appeared on her right shoulder. "Oh, so _that's _why..."

"Mum!" she quickly threw back the curtain, spluttering. "It's not- I'm not- you're- _oh please don't tell anyone!"_

"Hmm, no wonder why you get so giddy all of sudden whenever he's here."

"Muuuum..."

Ayame pinched her daughter's cheek, laughing. "Relax, my dear, I will not tell. I'm just happy to see my daughter had grown. And what a fine choice she makes too!"

Takari blushed redder than ever. "We haven't even talked yet, mother..." she mumbled.

"Oh, is that so? You want me to go fetch him and-"

"NO!" Takari leaped to her mother's front. "No, no, no, no! Please, mum, don't make it even harder for me!"

"Alright, alright, I was just joking, honey... Now come on, we need to get back to work! Three starving customers' stomachs are roaring protests as we speak. Off you go, waste no more time, hop hop hop!"

Takari sighed and let out a halfhearted response. She waited until her mother walked out of the kitchen before throwing her last glance on Kama, and eventually resuming her work with swelling delight for the remaining day.

(-)

"Yo! Ramen girl!"

Here came the ringleader of the name-calling.

Takari turned around to see the beaming boy, only several years older than her, pacing under Konoha evening sunlight. Inuzuka Yasei never failed to leave an impression on Takari every time she saw him. She did silently admit that Yasei was pretty cute, in a wild sort of way. She liked his bark-like laugh, or the way he bared his unusually sharp canines every time he smiled. He always reminded her of a friendly adorable pooch her neighbor once owned when she was little. She remembered how he—the pooch—always greeted her; his tail wagging madly as he jumped to her lap, begging to be hugged. Of course, she never told that to Yasei. Particularly the adorable part.

"Yasei-san! Back from your mission on the Snow Country, I suppose?"

"You bet," Yasei exposed his doggish smile. "Anyway, I have something for you..."

He thrust a wrapped package to Takari's hand.

"Just a little trinket from the Snow Country I thought you might like,"

"You really shouldn't have."

"Come on, open it,"

Takari tore open the package to reveal a palm-sized snow globe. Inside the sun-reflected glass dome, countless of minuscule white flurries enfolded a much bigger snowflake, which alone stood unmoving in the middle of the circle.

"This is… beautiful," Takari was almost breathless with glee. "Thank you so much, Yasei-san!"

He couldn't have given her a stuff thatpretty without any hidden intention, right? _Is Yasei-san trying to tell me something? Has he been having a crush on me all along? _(At this point delusional images started forming on her mind) _It'd be awesome to get a boyfriend as cool as Yasei-san... Wait, but how about Kama-kun?_

"Ah, it was nothing. Besides," Yasei's voice grabbed Takari back to reality. He lifted a stuffed sack Takari hadn't noticed was there before from his side, "It's sold everywhere there! They even gave me a crazy discount on these things! Look how many I've gotten,"

Takari squinted at the twenty or more identical packages crammed inside the sack with mouth half open while her daydream was crashing hard around her ears. _This is why you mustn't so easily get your hopes up, _her inner mind piped in with a sarcastic sneer.

"Oh, by the way, why are you out on the streets? I thought you are supposed to be in Ichiraku?"

"We're closing early," Takari tried to sound nonchalant as she was mentally slapping herself for being so stupid. "Mother had to go visit her friend on the southern border, and since she doesn't trust me to handle the restaurant by myself, now I'm heading home." She finished her sentence with a sigh. It would be another forlorn night staying up while waiting for her mother to come back.

"That's too bad," Yasei blinked. Surely it wasn't disappointment Takari detected on his voice?

"Well, anyway, I'd love to stay and chat, but I kinda have to go," he rattled the sack on his hands with a splitting smirk. "Plenty more snow globes to give away! It's been great meeting you, Takari!"

He gave her head a swift pat before dashing off to another direction. She could only watch him go, lamenting on the fact that ramen smell on a girl had now officially proven to be the worst aphrodisiac. She so felt like bashing her head against a nearby wall.

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><p><strong>That's about it for now. And oh, no, it's not a love story—at least not <strong>_**merely.**_

**I'll introduce more characters in the upcoming chapters. In the meantime, thank you for reading. :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**After I don't know how long… There it is. Second chapter. Phew!**

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><p>"Where've ya been?"<p>

Kama didn't even need to turn his head to found out the source of the voice now squatting on his windowpane. "Hokage's. Let me guess – you're here to brag your newest conquer. Which poor Snow Country girl has fallen under the gruff charm of the mighty Inuzuka Yasei?"

"Not interested in cold chicks," letting himself in, Yasei landed feet-first on his best friend's freshly made futon.

"Geez, man, I just washed the sheets." Kama groaned.

Yasei merely shrugged. "I have my eye on someone closer at home now, anyway,"

"Well, that's news. I thought you said you wouldn't date Konoha girls?"

"I did. I'm through with girls. They're clingy and noisy and so… predictable. Nah. I need someone more mature. More... mentally, and physically, _developed."_

Kama jutted out an eyebrow.

"Now if you're through expressing your interest at my romantic proclivities… Got something for ya," Yasei flung a snow globe at Kama's direction. "That was the last one from the sack. Consider yourself special."

"I'm not even flattered, but thanks," Kama caught it without even blinking and put it on top of his bookshelf. A picture of his parents and him on his younger years was placed nearby. It was also the day he was elected as a jounin—one of the proudest moments in their life, they said. There was his mother, grinning impishly with one elbow on top of Kama's head for the sole purpose of messing with his hair, and his father, giving the camera a thumbs-up, as if encouraging her. And there was him, their son, looking annoyed at his parents' antics as if he was the only grown-up around.

"Speaking of," Yasei stretched himself lazily on Kama's futon. "Have you by any chance dropped by Ichiraku Ramen?"

"I had lunch there just this noon."

"And did you… you know, meet Ayame?"

"Yeah, she was there as usual. What of it?"

"No reason," Yasei said.

From the way Yasei avoiding his eyes, Kama could conclude the answer just that easily.

"Oh my God. It's Ayame? _Really?"_

"So what? She's hot! That body… Damn. I bet she was a total babe. She still is."

"She's almost the same age as your mother!" he stared incredulously at his shinobi comrade. "You're a sicko."

Yasei gave a casual snicker. "Hey, at least I've been getting myself some action. You're like- what, seventeen years old and still have never gone out with a girl? _Dude._"

"Mind your own business."

"Oops, did I just enrage Konoha's Silver Reaper, _the_ Honorable Hatake Kama? Can it be that behind his aloof exterior lies feelings so sensitive it will bleed if you poke it with a toothpick?"

Kama swung his leg to kick Yasei, but the latter managed to roll off and got up in under a second with almost no effort.

"I mean, come on, Kama-_kun._ Even I have to admit you've got the gene to make sane-minded ladies faint with excitement at the sight of you passing by. Can't you just at least pick one at random and see what you'll go with it?"

"It's just not my priority," Kama said, fighting back a blush. "Now can you stop discussing it and get out of my room? I got the damn paperwork from the last mission to take care of."

"Fine, fine… Suit yourself," Yasei was already had one foot at the window, when he turned back to say, "You know, being evasive just made you ten times more fun to tease."

"Get the hell out, Inuzuka," Kama snapped.

"Ah. I've always known you got your Mom's temper."

Both heads were shifted at the direction of the voice coming from Kama's bedroom door. An older man who resembled Kama in almost every way save from his mask and eye color was standing with his arms folded behind his back.

"Good evening, Kakashi-san!" Yasei straightened up to give a deep bow, while Kama just sighed.

"Hi, Otōsan."

Kakashi just nodded at him and focused his stare at Yasei. "Can I have a word with my son alone, Yasei-kun?"

"Of course, sir. I was just heading home."

"Send my best to your mother, please."

"Yes sir. Will do, will do," he scrambled out the window, but not before he secretly threw a cheeky grin at Kama.

Exhaling, Kama turned to face his father. "Look, Dad, I—"

Kama didn't have the chance to say anything else as he felt a dull pain on top of his head and air being pushed forcefully from his lungs. His father had launched himself to envelope him in an incredibly childish noogie so violent he almost fell on the spot.

"So when exactly are you planning on visiting your parents, Kama-chan, hmm? It's been three months since you got back!"

Kama groaned as he spluttered for oxygen. He was in truth a little bit taller than his dad, but even at his age Kakashi was still at least twice as strong as him.

"Let go of me!" Kama felt his face turned blue, his arms and legs flailing to get his father off to no result.

Kakashi laughed rang as he finally did so, leaving his son regained his composure and dignity. "You always get your old man worried, you know. And your mother! You have no idea how many times she'd been asking about you. She even stopped eating dango—well, only for dinner time, but knowing her, that alone is quite a feat …"

Kama swept back his messy silver hair left by his father. "I was planning to visit you tomorrow after work," he said, irritated. "Dad, seriously, don't ever do that again. If my squad even heard about this, I'd throw myself off the Valley of the End with a sack tied around my head."

"Oh, but you're still our little boy," his father's eyes curved above his mask as he squeezed Kama's shoulders. "And you're coming with me _now _to meet your mother."

"But, Dad, I have work to do—"

"NO OBJECTIONS," his glare turned murderous, his shoulder squeeze increased in intensity. Kama had to hold an involuntary whimper.

"_Fine,"_

Kama's mumble of _"I'm not a little boy anymore, Dad," _was entirely disregarded by his father as he ushered his son through the door.

()

The treatment his mother gave him turned out to be not any less severe—possibly due to her overdose daily dango consumption. She began by giving Kama a hug that he could've sworn fractured some of his ribs, then kneaded his cheeks like a piece of zōni dough.

"My little boy!" Hatake Anko spared no sweat in displaying his love to his youngest child. "_Mommy misses youuu_~"

"Kaasan—" flushing hotter than the sun, Kama prayed to every divine entity there ever was to let nobody see that.

"Why- didn't- you- come- to- us- right- after- you- return-?" his mother smartly divided every word with every stinging pinch of his face.

"Mum— I can't— speak like this," Kama let out a muffled growl in response, before finally Anko lowered her hands. He winced as he rubbed both of his raw cheeks. "I've told Dad, I was gonna visit you tomorrow on weekend. Is Azuki around?"

"Your sister will be joining us for dinner, of course, but she might be a little bit late," she said, before turning to her husband. "Did you remember to pick up the eggs I told you?"

"Um—"

Kama had only seen his father, the Mighty Hatake Kakashi, squirmed uncomfortably in two types of situation: 1) when he and Azuki unintentionally stumbled upon his Icha Icha books collection when they were kids, 2) whenever he did, or didn't do, something that could result in his wife's inconsolable fury. This was the second one.

"Well, _darling?" _Anko's voice was dripping acid.

"Five minutes," visibly sweat-dropped, Kakashi scuttled away before Anko could make anymore sound resembling threats.

Anko smiled brightly at Kama. "Tell me everything about your first solo S-rank mission, honey, since I'm going to need your exceptional skill in the kitchen. Come, come,"

Kama had no choice but to follow his mother. In her younger years, Mitarashi Anko was famous for her ferocity in the battlefield along with her bloodthirstiness—sometimes in quite literal sense—and while these qualities might not be displayed in full to her family, Kama rather passed the chance to get even a taste of it.

So there he was, one of the youngest elected-jōnins in the history of Konohagakure, responsible for one of the most dangerous clandestine killing squad, and who has earned the moniker Konoha's Silver Reaper… chopping onions.

()

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><p><strong>More characters to come. Until then.<strong>


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